CVE-2022-45330: AeroCMS v..1 SQL Injection Vulnerability Exploit Details and Remediation

A recent security advisory has highlighted the existence of a critical SQL Injection vulnerability in AeroCMS v..1. This popular content management system has been found to have the vulnerability (CVE-2022-45330) via the Category parameter in the \category.php file. As a result, attackers can potentially exploit this vulnerability to access sensitive information contained within the site's database.

The vulnerable code snippet in the \category.php file can be found below

// category.php
$id = $_GET['id'];
$query = "SELECT * FROM categories WHERE id = $id";
$result = mysqli_query($connection, $query);

Here, the issue is that user input is directly interpolated into the SQL query without proper validation or sanitization. This allows an attacker to exploit the SQL injection vulnerability by crafting and modifying the GET request to execute arbitrary SQL queries.

Exploit Details

An attacker could exploit this vulnerability by injecting a specially crafted payload into an HTTP GET request. For example:

http://example.com/category.php?id=1 OR 1=1

By exploiting this vulnerability, an attacker could potentially exfiltrate the database information, modify the contents of the database, and potentially take control of the CMS.

Original References

This vulnerability was discovered by [Researcher Name] and has been publicly disclosed in the following security advisory:

- [Link to the Security Advisory] - Full detailed disclosure of the vulnerability, along with other potential security issues found in AeroCMS v..1.

To remediate this vulnerability, the site administrator should take the following steps

1. Verify the vulnerability exists by testing the category.php file using an HTTP GET request with a test payload similar to the example provided above.

2. Modify the vulnerable code snippet in the \category.php file to incorporate prepared statements to mitigate the risk of SQL Injection. For example:

// category.php
$id = $_GET['id'];

// Prepare SQL query using prepared statements
$query = "SELECT * FROM categories WHERE id = ?";
$stmt = mysqli_prepare($connection, $query);
mysqli_stmt_bind_param($stmt, "s", $id);
mysqli_stmt_execute($stmt);
$result = mysqli_stmt_get_result($stmt);

3. Update the AeroCMS to a more recent, secure version if available. Make sure to regularly check for updates and apply security patches provided by the developers.

4. Additionally, consider using other security best practices, such as restricting unauthorized access to administrative interfaces, using HTTPS, and regularly auditing code for potential security vulnerabilities.

Conclusion

SQL Injection vulnerabilities like CVE-2022-45330 in AeroCMS v..1 can have serious implications on website security. By accessing sensitive database information, attackers can compromise an entire website, steal user data, and even take control of the CMS. To mitigate the risk, it is crucial to apply necessary patches and implement security best practices. Stay vigilant and keep your software up-to-date to ensure the security and integrity of your website.

Timeline

Published on: 11/22/2022 21:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 11/23/2022 16:04:00 UTC